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17. Czechoslovakia
- Gallaudet University Press
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________________________________1_ Czechoslovakia MARIE CE~JA Since the end of World War II, the growth of special education in Czechoslovakia has been phenomenal. The number ofstudents served in the past fortyfiveyears has increased to more than twelve times the original number. Forty years of Marxist-Leninist educational ideas left Czechoslovakia with a residue of concepts that focused on individual defects in special education. Current practices reflect allegiance to the concept of disontogenesis or defective development. Guided by defectology, professionals emphasize a deficit model, or what is wrong with the child.' However, the recent opening to Western ideas and the presence of visiting scholars and teachers from Western Europe and the United States exposed special education, all at once, to the fruit of decades of research and innovative thinking. One can expect that it will take some time for Czech and Slovak educators to filter and absorb the wealth ofideas, and then to see changes reflected in the special education system. The present trend emphasizes the value ofevery individual with impairment or handicap, the discovery of the abilities of each, and the development of each person's capacities. The goals of special education are socialization, normalization , integration into society, and emancipation, in order to incorporate the handicapped into the world ofwork and social activity. About the Author • Dr. Marie Cerna is vice-dean for Foreign Relations at the Pedagogical Faculty of Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia. She has been a classroom teacher, held various academic and administrative posts at Charles University, and has worked extensively with the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Education. Her extensive publication and editorial contributions include monographs; specialized articles in collections of papers; textbooks for primary, secondary schools, and higher education; presentations at international conferences ; reviews of textbooks and specialized publications; entries in specialized dictionaries; curricula for special schools; and methodological guidelines for teachers in special education. 274 Czechoslovakia Prevalence of Exceptional Conditions 275 In Czechoslovakia, knowledge about the many exceptional conditions that affect children has been steadily increasing. It covers a great variety of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal conditions, some of which are already controlled, abolished, or minimized, due to improved nutrition, health care, and sanitation. Some new problems are arising, the consequences of poor environments. Improved health and social services, on the other hand, have led to a higher survival rate of handicapped infants and to prolonged life for handicapped people who otherwise would have met an early death. It is difficult to define the prevalence of exceptional conditions since figures vary according to age groups, to the respective category of handicapped persons, and especially to the various definitions of handicap given from different viewpoints. The most common estimate used in the current literature cites a distribution of between 3 and 15 percent of handicapping conditions among the general population. More precise data exists on the school-age population. Presently, approximately 4 percent of children ages six to fifteen are enrolled in special schools. This statistic represents a sample of more than one hundred thousand students. Table 17.1 provides enrollment information on these students according to type of exceptionality and the kind of school attended. Estimates indicate that over 15 percent of the school-age population has some kind of learning difficulty. This group of students has a high prevalence of handicapping conditions. Many of these students are emotionally handicapped as well. For the most part, they attend special classes within ordinary schools. At the present time, an unusually high number of multiple handicaps exists within the handicapped population, supposedly because of TABLE 17.1. Students Enrolled in Special Education Schools in Czechoslovakia Type ofSchool Exceptionality Kindergarten Elementary' Secondary" Vocational Mentally handicapped 1,603 59,284 16,257 Hearing impaired 322 1,902 101 560 Speech impaired 128 535 Visually handicapped 177 905 272 313 Multiply handicapped 9 375 Physically handicapped 5,093 828 222 545 Health impaired 5,093 11,504 Total 7,455 75,333 596 17,675 Auxiliary 1,112 115 1,236 Note: Figures reported as of 15 September 1990. a Elementary schools serve children in grades 1-9. b Secondary schools include polytechnical, pedagogical, and academic high schools. [3.235.120.24] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 07:28 GMT) 276 SEGREGATED SPECIAL EDUCATION an increasing number of children at risk-those who are born prematurely or those with birth disorders and nervous system disorders. Identification of Exceptionalities Children with exceptionalities are detected and identified as early as possible . Due to the relatively efficient health care system, pediatricians observe and assist in assuring...